Tasmanian truffles on the menu

They cost up to $2200/kg and are notoriously difficult to produce, but the Australian truffle market is booming. The precious tuber, famed for its pungent aroma, is at peak season in Tasmania right now.

Brisbane’s Benfatti Fine Italian Food owner Ben Cleary-Corradini said, domestically, he considered Tasmanian truffles to be superior to those from Western Australia.

“It’s a controversial question, but I prefer Tasmanian for its better growing conditions. The climate is cooler and the soil is less sandy,” Mr Cleary-Corradini (pictured) said. He distributes tubers from Truffles of Tasmania, that are grown in Deloraine, under the Western Tiers mountain range.

“Every year, the quality gets better and better, and they produce more and more each year. They are freighted overnight, so we get them within 24 hours of the truffle being unearthed, so they are extremely fresh and have a good life on them.”

Dogs are trained to sniff out the truffles from rows of English oak trees. A variety of dog breeds, including spaniels, labradors and kelpies are used to find the truffles.

The majority of Benfatti’s truffles are delivered to Brisbane restaurants, including Tartufo (Fortitude Valley), Montrachet (Paddington) and Public (city), and the remainder is sold through Superior Fruit (Graceville), or occasionally at Benfatti’s stall at Jan Power’s Farmers Markets.

His market stall also stocks truffled honey, cream, oil and salt, imported from Italy, along with balsamic vinegars from Modena, cherry tomato sauce from Sicily and organic Tuscan olive oils.

Mr Cleary-Corradini takes groups of customers on annual food tours to Italy. “Truffle hunting is always on the agenda,” he said.

“Truffles from Tasmanian go head to head with anything from Italy or France. They are one of the most sought-after truffles in Australia, so much so that they have been selected by top chefs all across Asia and even Europe.”

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